First Saturdays in Honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The
observance of the first Saturday in honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is
intended to console her Immaculate Heart, and to make reparation to it for all
the blasphemies and ingratitude of men.
This devotion and the wonderful
promises connected with it were revealed by the Blessed Virgin to three
children, Francisco, Jacinta and Lucia to whom she appeared at Fatima, Portugal,
in 1917. On June 13, 1917, Our Lady told Lucia: "Jesus wants to make use of
you to make me known and loved. He wants to establish in the world devotion to
my Immaculate Heart". Our Lady repeated this in the July 13th apparition
when, after she granted the children the vision of Hell, saying: "You have
seen Hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to
establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is
done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace."
Our Lady also told Lucia:
"I promise to help at the hour of
death, with the graces needed for salvation, whoever on the First Saturday of
five consecutive months shall: